The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method and a computer program wherein two or more apparatus connected to each other by a network are linked in operation with each other and, more particularly, to an information processing system, an information processing method and a computer program wherein two or more information processing apparatus connected to each other by a network are linked in operation with each other.
Specifically, the present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method and a computer program wherein two or more apparatus having a reservation recording function are linked in reservation recording setting operation with each other through a home network and, even more particularly, to an information processing system, an information processing method and a computer program wherein reservation recording operations of different apparatus individually set at different places are simplified and facilitated.
It is known to implement the sharing of information resources, sharing of hardware resources and collaboration among a number of users by connecting a number of computers to each other by a network. A LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet and so forth are known as connection media between a number of users.
Recently, techniques of a computer and a network have been and are entering deeply into general homes. Various information apparatus in a home such as a personal computer and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), AV apparatus such as a television receiver and a video reproduction apparatus, various information appliances, CE (Consumer Electronics) apparatus and so forth are connected to each other by a home network. Further, such a home network as just mentioned is, in most cases, connected to an external wide area network beginning with the Internet through a router.
Although a utilization form that a number of AV apparatus are connected on a home network in this manner is supposed, the utilization form has a problem that sufficient cooperation is not established between a number of AV apparatus.
For example, where two or more AV apparatus such as a video cassette deck, a DVD apparatus and a hard disk drive (HDD) are installed in a home (including a case wherein an AV apparatus has a multiple tuner function of allowing reception and/or recording of a number of channels at a time), a first program and a second program having reservation time bands which overlap with each other can be recorded at a time.
However, although most AV apparatus which incorporate such recording media as described above have a reservation recording function for a television broadcast and other contents which are distributed in accordance with a time schedule, where two such AV apparatus exist on a home network, they do not cooperate with each other.
For example, when a user tries to set a recording reservation on a certain AV apparatus, the user cannot know whether or not a recording reservation of the same program exists on another AV apparatus. Reserved recording of the same program on a number of AV apparatus results in useless consumption of media. Further, if a user tries to make a recording reservation on one of a number of AV apparatus and finds out that the medium of the AV apparatus does not have a free area, then since it is unknown to the user whether or not a second one of the AV apparatus has a free area, the user must move to the location of the second AV apparatus and perform a recording reservation perform newly. Thus, complicated operation is required.
Usually, such a reservation information setting screen as shown in FIG. 36 is presented on an AV apparatus. A user can perform a setting operation for reserved recording through the reservation information setting screen. Further, such a reservation information confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 37 is presented, and the user can confirm the contents of the recording reservation through the reservation information confirmation screen.
However, reservation information is managed independently on a number of AV apparatus, wherein such a reservation information setting screen and a reservation information confirmation screen as described above represent mere information only on the single AV apparatus which is being operated.
Therefore, for example, if a user tries to set a recording reservation for two programs in the same time zone, then since the reservation screen on the second AV apparatus cannot be known from the setting screen of the first AV apparatus, in order to confirm the status regarding whether or not the second AV apparatus has a free area, it is necessary to open the reservation confirmation or setting screen on the second AV apparatus and perform setting on the screen. In other words, in such an instance, it is necessary to open different reservation screens on the two AV apparatus and perform reservation setting separately on the reservation screens. Where two such AV apparatus are provided at separate places, the reservation setting operations are considerably cumbersome to the user.
For example, a recording and reproduction system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-259926 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) wherein a number of recording and reproduction apparatus are used to make a recording reservation of a number of programs efficiently while saving labor as far as possible. However, the recording and reproduction system does not have a countermeasure for facilitation and simplification of recording reservation operations for different recording and reproduction apparatus where the apparatus are provided at different places.
As an increase of channels proceeds together with the development of broadcasting enterprises such as BS broadcasting, CS broadcasting and ground wave digital broadcasting, the needs to simultaneously record different programs whose reservation times overlap with each other are increasing. Thus, it is estimated that the demand for cooperation of reservation recording functions and simultaneous or synchronous reproduction functions by different apparatus connected to each other by a home network increases more and more.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the Figures.